


Dyed Hair and Eyeliner

by viv_is_spooky



Series: The Marked [2]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, But of course that doesn't happen, Chance Meetings, Gen, Gerry is trying to have a peaceful vacation, One Shot, Random & Short, Short, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:28:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23574673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/viv_is_spooky/pseuds/viv_is_spooky
Summary: While temporarily free of his mother's ghost, Gerry encounters someone he doesn't know how to help.
Relationships: Gerard Keay & Harriet Lee
Series: The Marked [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1696945
Kudos: 19





	Dyed Hair and Eyeliner

The ghost of Gerry’s mum has faded away once more, and his temporary escape is to Salisbury this time. As he approaches the city’s famed ornate cathedral, his eyes fall briefly upon someone who is Marked.

He tries to tell himself that maybe he’s just seeing things, but another vague glance in the direction of the person makes it very clear to Gerry that yes, she is in fact Marked.

He tries to tell himself that it’s not his responsibility to take care of strays, but it is a halfhearted effort, and he soon finds himself turning to walk towards her. She is sat on the ground in front of the cathedral, henna-red hair tied back into a messy bun, fishnet-clad legs criss-crossed as she holds a sketchbook in her lap and a pencil in one hand.

She is painfully thin, focused on the scene in front of her, and wearing heavy eyeliner.

She reminds Gerry unsettlingly of himself.

Except, of course, that the signs of Corruption, little ghostly worms, crisscross intermittently in and out of her skin as he watches. They are faint, but they are there. She has started down the path towards feeding the Crawling Rot, but he may still have time to steer her down a different road before it’s too late. So he fishes his own sketchbook out of the worn black backpack he carries on travels, walks over to the stray artist as casually as he can muster, and sits calmly beside her. 

She turns immediately to introduce herself, smile hesitant but genuine.

She has no idea of the terror that is stalking her.

“Hello there! I’m Harriet Lee,” she says lightly, reaching out to shake Gerry’s hand.

“Gerard,” he responds quietly, making the closest face to a smile that he can muster as he firmly accepts her handshake.

“Always good to meet another artist. I wanna go to London to study art, eventually. When high school is over with.” Her voice is wistful, giddy anticipation bubbling beneath the cool façade of her external demeanor. Gerry engages with her attempts at conversation as best as he can, and he must do an okay job, because soon the sun has started to set.

Harriet says she can walk home on her own, that she has grown up here, that she knows the way. Gerry won’t hear of it, of course, and his deep-rooted stubbornness rules out over her transient bluffs at confidence. So soon, they are walking back towards where Harriet’s house apparently is, and all is fairly normal until they run across a homeless woman sprawled across the sidewalk.

Before Gerry can register what she’s doing, Harriet crouches down, pulls a bit of spare change out of her pocket, and hands it to the woman. And as she does this, the Corruption tightens its hold on her. The ghostly worms pulse slightly, become a bit less transparent, and the Knowledge comes to Gerry that _this is what will kill her_. This ill-advised aid she gives to strangers will be her undoing someday, unless someone can convince her to stop.

The realization freezes Gerry in his tracks, and his heart drops to the bottom of his stomach. He’s in the dark about what to do to help this time, mind grasping desperately for any inkling of a way he can stop this kindhearted artist from suffering a painful, writhing death. He doesn't find one.

_Harriet Lee is in the business of helping strays, and Gerry has no idea how to rid her of a habit he’s never quite managed to kick himself._


End file.
